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100

Computer Gaming World (CGW)

NEED FOR SPEED: HIGH STAKES is a racing enthusiast’s dream. With a new financial model, new exotic cars, over a dozen tracks, and more racing modes than a Ferrari has gears, this game truly has something for everyone. Sporting an absolutely beautiful engine that is balanced nicely between arcade and simulation, NFS:HS is a blast to drive. With a number of new single- and multiplayer enhancements, it’s easily the best version yet of this stellar racing series.

After that, you may be wondering if the game is worth it. While Need for Speed: High Stakes could do with some tuning, it usually succeeds at firing on all cylinders. The three times the game froze were over a playing period of close to eighty hours, so they weren't frequent enough to stop my enjoyment of all the things that are good about this game. Enhanced career and "Hot Pursuit" modes, "High Stakes" challenges, damage modelling, and a host of new tracks and cars more than make up for it. If you like your cars fast and exotic, you can't get a better rush. Once again, Electronic Arts has hit the mark and upped the ante for all other arcade racers on the PC.

If you're a gamer who has a console, maybe the one made by Sony that starts with a P, you've might of rented or even purchased the version that was released to the console market about three months ago. EA usually puts in some new features in the PC version. This is also why they aren't released simultaneously. About the only new features included in the PC version over the PSX version is the new modes of pursuit and much better graphics (playing in 800x600 mode compared to 320x200, there is just no comparison!). It's not really worth the money to purchase the PC version of NFS:HS if you already own the PSX as there just isn't enough new features worthy to distinguish the two.

In essence, Need for Speed: High Stakes is Need for Speed III with car damage, a new career mode, new cars, and new tracks. It plays like its predecessor but just has so many more extras. If you already own Need for Speed III, you have to decide whether those new features are worth the asking price. But if you don't have Need for Speed III, then this will be a rare treat among PC racing games. You'll enjoy the graphics, the fast gameplay, and the plethora of cars and tracks at your disposal.

Need for Speed: High Stakes is everything that NFS 3 should have been. The damage model and career play mode are great additions to an already great series of titles. They're fun and they give the player more of a feeling of involvment in the game, instead of just popping in for a quick lap or two. There are minor irritants in the game, such as not being able to go outside the course (not the focus of the game, so you probably won't ever be able to), and having to have one CD per multiplayer opponent. However, none of this stuff detracts from the fact that High Stakes is a great game, and as I said, a must-buy for anyone who's a fan of racing titles, or even just of gaming in general.

Need for Speed: High Stakes isn't a bad game. It's the Ford Taurus of software, providing reliable, honest workmanship with a nice interior and some good standard options -- it's just that some people will be looking for a Ferrari, or at least a rocket-strapped VW Bug to bring up the pulse a bit. The outside shell has been honed to perfection by EA, but it feels as if they forgot about adding a fuel-injected engine under the hood. It looks like a racer, but all too often it ends up driving like a sedan.

This latest installment in the NFS series is not at all shabby, with great graphics and sound effects, but, to be candid, I must say I was disappointed. If you do not own Hot Pursuit, then it would be worthwhile to purchase this sequel; however, if you already own it, then I do not see any compelling reason to splurge on this one. I can already tell this review is going to generate some controversy, as several people I have talked to love this title, and for gamers just expecting incremental improvements, I am sure they will not be let down. But for those of us hoping for a big leap forward, this latest installment will not give you the adrenaline boost you crave.